JACKSONVILLE, Arkansas — The city of Jacksonville is home to many people, and many of them have lived there for years— like Travis Hooper who has lived in the city for 46 years.
"Means everything. I was born and raised here, as these used to be my old stomping grounds when I was a kid,” said Hooper.
The city that Hooper loves was struck by a tornado on Friday afternoon. Homes were left without roofs, businesses are completely gone, power is still waiting to be restored, and roads are still full of debris.
“It missed my house probably a quarter of a mile,” said Hooper. “You really can't explain it with words just took your breath out.”
The second that the city was in the clear of danger, Hooper jumped into action.
“Me and my cousin and everything got chainsaws ready and went to work,” Hooper explained.
He has been helping around the clock to clear areas like Redmond Road, which was covered in debris and broken tree limbs.
Dupree Park along that same road is now completely gone.
“Redmond row was crazy,” said Hooper. “We helped the City of Jacksonville Park and Rec to clear the main roads for all the emergency people to come down to help whoever needed to be helped.”
From there he continued working to make roads drivable again.
“This road was completely blocked by that big old tree and all the brushes stuff around it and everything,” Hooper described. “It probably took us about four and five and a half hours we were here most of the day Saturday.”
The work has not stopped, and more people have continued to join in on the effort each day,
“They didn't care what it costs just we were out here to help,” said Hooper. “We didn't care if you didn't have a shirt on your back of what we had people coming up everywhere trying to help us to do it.”